The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to electrical connectors for use with printed circuit boards.
In general, the use of electrical connectors to connect peripheral devices to a host system is well known. For example, plug and socket arrangements are frequently used with personal computers to allow keyboards, mouse, printers, etc., to be connected to and disconnected from the central processing unit both quickly and easily. These plug and socket arrangements are configured such that the socket is housed within the host system, and the plug is disposed at the end of a cord that ultimately terminates within the peripheral device. This arrangement works well for peripheral devices that require some amount of mobility during use, such as the keyboard of a personal computer.
However, this arrangement does not work as well for non-mobile peripherals. For example, where a peripheral device is not required to be moved during use, mounting the device directly to the host system conserves space and lessens the possibility the device will be inadvertently disconnected from the host system. An example of a non-mobile peripheral device is a module that includes a jack configured to receive a standard telephone line, thereby providing a host system access to a telephone network. As previously noted, present peripheral devices require the use of a cord to attach the plug to a printed circuit board within the peripheral device. As will be discussed in greater detail infra, the use of a cord in a peripheral device designed to be mounted directly to a host system limits the minimum size of the peripheral device, increases both the time and the cost of manufacture, and contributes to the difficulty experienced by anyone attempting to attach the peripheral device to the host system.
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that it would be desirable to have a better approach for mounting non-mobile peripherals to a host system.